Absenteeism Down, Scholarships Up

All In For Students Award Recipient 2013: The award is presented to site coordinators who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to students. With acts of love and transformation, these Heroes are the best at what they do.

Phillips doesn’t just set a high bar for her students, she also makes sure they have the support and confidence to clear it. When truancy rates were an issue at Aki Kurose Middle School, Phillips led a group of parent volunteers to reduce absenteeism by 30 percent in just a few months. Learning that a number of her students didn’t believe they were deserving of college scholarships, Phillips decided to implement a scholarship program to increase the number of students applying for them. Turning challenges into opportunities, Phillips isn’t afraid to help her students knock down any barriers.